Christmas Shopping, McJenny Style
by catherine.marie97
Summary: McGee, like every other parent in DC, decided to his Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve...he brings Jenny along as reinforcements. Last minute Christmas shopping like you've never seen it before.


"You so owe me, McGee."

Jenny Shepard rubbed her hands together briskly, desperately trying to regain any sense of feeling in her fingers. Her breath misted as she breathed, little puffs of cloud that melted a few inches in front of her face. She was dressed warmly in a lined leather coat with a long black scarf wrapped around her neck but the icy wind somehow still found its way inside her protective layers, making her shift from foot to foot anxiously as she waited for the store to open.

At least she was not alone. McGee stood beside her, as well as at least fifty other people just as miserable as she was, all equally as cold. Well, maybe not McGee. Even as she tried to glare at him for dragging her out of her nice warm house at the crack of dawn, she was inwardly happy to see the relaxed set of his shoulders, the sparkle of holiday cheer in his eyes.

Or was that a gleam of manic anticipation?

"Alright, you remember the plan, Director? Doors open, we make for the toy aisle, grab the GI Joe, hit the registers and we're out of there." He nodded decisively to himself. "It's brilliant. Ziva was completely overreacting when she said this would be hard."

Jenny snorted. "Do you think all of these people would be out here, freezing their butts off in front of a store that isn't even open yet, for a toy that ever little boy wants for Christmas if this was going to be easy? We'll be lucky to make it out in one piece." She glanced over at the crowd surrounding the store, the agent part of her analyzing the situation. "This could definitely get very ugly, very fast."

"We should probably split up," McGee continued as if she hadn't spoken, his gaze religiously focused on the toy store's tightly sealed doors. "Better chance of finding a GI Joe." Jenny struggled to keep a straight face. If he said "GI Joe" one more time…

"McGee, are you even hearing me? This is not a raid and you're insane if you think I'm going to take people out to get a toy."

He finally turned towards her, his expression one she had seen many times before, usually right before he hacked a suspect's computer. She managed not to roll her eyes. Really, he acted like they were preparing for war. Sure, it would be hectic, more so than he probably thought, but it didn't require a battle plan.

"Jenny," he said patiently, "you do understand I will be in the proverbial dog house if I don't get this action figure for James. And if I'm going down, you're going down with me."

"_Now, _I see why you wanted me to come with you."

He smiled slightly. "I trust you with my life, Director."

She arched an eyebrow wryly. "Touching, McGee, but you should quit trying to butter me up. I'm not attacking some old woman because you forgot to get James' gift early."

McGee shrugged. "Then I'll be sending him your way when he's crying his eyes out on Christmas morning. You can explain to him why Santa didn't get him what he wanted."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "That's low, McGee."

He smiled sheepishly. "I'm a father doing his shopping the day before Christmas. I'm not above anything."

She sighed. "Alright, alright. But you really owe me."

A sudden murmur at the front of the crowd caught Jenny's attention. The employees were taking the locks off of the door.

"Here we go," McGee mumbled.

As soon as the doors clicked open and the employee was clear, every man, woman, and child surged into the store, the moving mass of bodies taking McGee and Jenny with them. Warm air washed over Jenny as she entered but she had no time to enjoy it. McGee called her name once and then was off to the action figure section, leaving her scrambling to catch up with him. She wasn't the only one headed in that direction either. The GI Joe action figure was a sought after item and she wondered if McGee would actually come away with one.

Hurrying down the aisles, Jenny somehow managed to make it to the GI Joe display without losing a limb only to find a mass of people hurrying away with one of the limited toys. She didn't see McGee and the action figures were going fast.

"Crap." She readied herself and then started making her way to the display. "Excuse me. Sorry. Coming through." People pressed in all sides, all moving in different directions, and by the time she reached the case there were very few action figures left. Grabbing one of the last, she hugged the toy to her chest and prepared to make her getaway.

"Hey, lady, give me that!"

An arm came out of nowhere and she found herself toy-less and pushed back against a shelf of Lego kits. The man who had taken James' gift turned on his heel and hurried away, clearly intending to escape.

Oh, it was on now.

Scrambling over boxes she had spilled in her fall, Jenny lurched to her feet and threw herself in the fray, trying to keep the suspect in sight. Ahead of her, McGee came into view, a frown crossing his face as he caught sight of her.

"Jenny?"

She motioned frantically as the thief ran past him. "Stop him, McGee! He's got GI Joe!"

Her agent's eyes widened and he turned and broke into a short run to grab the guy's coat and yank him backwards and off balance.

"Hey, where are you going in such a rush?" McGee asked dangerously as Jenny got to him. "You wouldn't be trying to get away with this, would you?" He plucked the doll from the other man's hands and handed it to Jenny.

"Dude, come on, that's mine!" the guy whined, reaching towards Jenny. She stepped out of reach as McGee knocked the guy's hand away.

"I wouldn't touch her if I were you, _dude,_" he said lowly. McGee glanced at her. "Are you alright, _Director_?"

The guy's eyes widened. "Director? Hey, I didn't know she was important. Honest!"

Jenny ignored him. "I'm fine, McGee, but I think we should leave before I decide to press charges. I really don't want to have to write up papers for an assault on Christmas Eve."

McGee raised his eyebrows at the guy he was restraining. "Did you hear that? Looks like you go free today." The would-be thief nodded and took off like a jet as soon as McGee released his jacket. He shook his head.

"It's a mad, mad world," he said before turning to smile at her. "I can't believe you got one. I took a wrong turn at the bike rack." He took the action figure as she handed it to him. "Wow, James will love this."

Jenny returned his smile. "I'm glad." She laughed a little. "And at least I won't have to worry about you being in the dog house tomorrow."

McGee's expression suddenly grew serious. "You should come over for dinner tomorrow night, Jenny. The kids would love to see you— "She cut him off.

"Christmas is for family, McGee, and with Jethro in Iraq, it wouldn't feel right," she said as they headed towards the cashier line. "I'll be fine." Well, she would be after a few drinks and a dozen attempts at forgetting childhood memories of holidays spent with her alcoholic mother, but he didn't need to know that.

His hand on her arm made her stop and face him.

"You are family, Jenny," he said quietly and before she could really process his words, he bustled her off towards the registers again. "Listen, you come over to eat, bring Jasper and Kelly, then James will show you his presents, Ziva will serve you really horrible egg nog and then you can go home if you want. Don't tell me you want to miss all that."

"Well…" she faltered and then sighed."I guess I do deserve some turkey after everything I've done for you." She smiled slyly.

He grinned. "You bet."


End file.
